CA-Based Operation Highway Sentinel Nets 101 Arrests in Crackdown on Illegals With CDLs
“Our operation has taken 101 drivers off the streets who should not have been behind the wheel, sending a clear message that violations of our laws and threats to public safety will not be tolerated.”
Not only has the Trump administration declared war on illegal immigration, but a spate of fatal accidents this year involving illegal immigrant truck drivers who have CDLs prompted emergency action from the State Department, the DOT, and DHS.
The State Department paused employment visas for truck drivers. The DOT’s crackdown has involved stricter rules for non-domiciled drivers trying to obtain a CDL. The DOT has also put so-called sanctuary states like California on notice that federal highway funds would be withheld if they didn’t stop issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants. Further, non-compliant states could face losing their licensing programs.
ICE, meanwhile, has been on the move in the Golden State on a mission called “Operation Highway Sentinel.” On Tuesday, they announced that 101 arrests had been made involving illegals who had CDLs:
On Dec. 23, ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Francisco and HSI Los Angeles, along with federal partners, announced the successful conclusion of Operation Highway Sentinel, which resulted in the arrests of 101 illegal aliens truck drivers on California highways. This operation took place throughout California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom issued thousands of commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens who then went on to cause multiple high-profile fatal accidents in California, Florida and Oregon.
[…]
The operation targeted trucking companies in central and northern California suspected of engaging in criminal activity. The industry is widely known to law enforcement to involve criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling, labor trafficking, narcotics trafficking, cargo theft and fraud, as evidenced by multiple independent HSI, FBI and DEA investigations.
“Southern California is home to the two busiest seaports in the United States — the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. As cargo moves from these ports across the nation, it is essential that those transporting it comply fully with the law to keep our roadways safe,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “Our operation has taken 101 drivers off the streets who should not have been behind the wheel, sending a clear message that violations of our laws and threats to public safety will not be tolerated.”
ICE noted that the countries of origin for some of the illegals who had been arrested included “India, Mexico, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Russia, Georgia, Venezuela, El Salvador and Honduras.”
OPERATION HIGHWAY SENTINEL
Governor Newsom's sanctuary state policies won't stop ICE and our federal partners from enforcing federal immigration law.
Over 100+ criminal illegal alien CDL holders arrested — many from India, Mexico, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Nicaragua,… pic.twitter.com/O55BGmuFGv
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) December 23, 2025
NEW: ICE has arrested 101 illegal alien truck drivers & seized their CDLs in a California operation dubbed “Operation Highway Sentinel”. This, after 3 Indian nationals who were given CA CDLs are accused of killing 8 people in crashes around the country. https://t.co/w1A5BFXiyA
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 23, 2025
Similar operations in other states have netted 200+ arrests, ICE also shared. The one in Oklahoma was done in partnership with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol:
NEW: Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s Operation Guardian sweep captures 120 illegals, including 90 truck drivers, under a federal partnership with ICE.
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) September 30, 2025
This illegal alien with a New York CDL doesn’t speak English and could have killed Oklahoma drivers with flying tires if it weren’t for our OK Highway Patrol 287(g) partners – well done, troopers, and we’re glad you’re safe! pic.twitter.com/7g8FgA6uDf
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) December 5, 2025
Rounding up illegal immigrant truck drivers was also part of Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago:
"If you are here driving on our streets illegally and our highways – you’re endangering our citizens, and your days are NUMBERED." @Sec_Noem ⁰
Through our 287(g) partnership with the Indiana State Police, ICE has arrested 223 illegal aliens, including truck drivers, in… pic.twitter.com/IheYQA7tJ1— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 30, 2025
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Comments
It’s worse than a lot of normies think.
I live in Commiefornia for family and work (second I retire I’m gone).
The plant I work at sees 50+ trucks every single day.
Probably 80% of them don’t speak ONE FREAKING WORD of English. Not a single word. And of the remainder most of them only speak BASIC English and have trouble comprehending simple directions.
A shipping clerk should not need to use a translating app to do their job.
Call ICE
As I understand it, the not fully American “sanctuary states” are suing in federal court claiming that only the states have authority over the issuance of CDL’s. Expect that at the trial and up through most of the appellate levels there are Leftist judges who will so rule. Maybe, and only maybe, in several years after it gets to the Supreme Court; it is theoretically possible that states may be ordered not to license hostile foreign invaders on our roads. However, then comes phase two of trying to enforce that order. More and more our judicial system is like a dice game where 7’s and 11’s are of primary importance.
Subotai Bahadur
And the logical rebuttal to that is that if that’s REALLY what you want, then other states can refuse to recognize California or New York CDLs as valid for their state and demand any driver in their state has to get a license in a state they accept as valid.
The could do that today. If ‘full faith and credit’ doesn’t require reciprocity for 2A Constitutional rights for ‘pistol/CCW’ among States then it sure as heck doesn’t require reciprocity for out of State CDL. Heck most States require in State licenses for barbers licensed in another State.
So, what about those drives who drive in other states? Seems to me the CDLs, if allowed to continue, should be for licenses in the home state. Once a government level or company or trainer, etc. issue the license they should be out of business. I believe CDLs can be controlled at the federal level under cross-state trade.
That would be true with standard car driving licenses. With the CDL’s, it’s under the national laws governing interstate Commerce Whole nuther ball game. Yes, the states issue, in theory only to their residents. Those states mus comply with national laws and standards Cevtain types o lods also require special endorsements, again issued by the states to their own resident drivers, but all under the national standards.
I used to pick up containers in Long Beach/San Pedro. It’s always been like this.
Years ago I assumed truckers were highly skilled and safe drivers with the exception of an occasional cowboy. What has happened, as with passenger cars, is that the lawless free for all has encouraged domestic drivers to act almost as recklessly. I see 18 wheelers darting in and out of lanes like sports cars now. The roads are congested with big rigs, and I now fear driving beside any one of them. I assume the worst and drive accordingly. It is a war zone!
Would I’ve observed that isn’t necessarily the illegals. It’s just a bunch of honchos behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler rig. It’s gotten to the point now that I really hate road trips. I used to enjoy them.
I never drove a tractor trailer rig by myself, but I did drive a 10 wheeler for the family business. I know all about maybe gaining some speed before going up the hill and I allow for that with truckers. I also allow for quite a few other things. I treat them courteously. But so many of them these days are just plain reckless.
The root of the problem is the illegals.
The leftist states wanted to give licenses to illegals, but illegals couldn’t pass the written tests or the driving tests. So the left set about lowering the standards across the board until they COULD pass.
And that resulted in the insane mess on the roads that’s taking place.
Not quite the real picture. When I got my Class One, back in 1975, I had to drive under a Caliphornia State DMV employee o pass. He was answrable to the State DMV. My present state, same thing. But asome yeas back it all got changd. he state DMV’s passed the buck to private corporations. They did all the training and testing, and issud the licenses. Problem.. they were running a business. their goal is to make money, and make it they do, big time. $10,000 to get the Class One. Unless dirivers get their tickets, they don’t make money. Corruption come along whnever money is the driving issue.
this will NOT change until this happens: The pheds must examine the papwr trail on every one o the non-resident tickets they’ve pulled, each sage has to have someone sign on it. Go back and identiphy those who did sign on the illegals. End heir CDL instructing/examining career. Until the honchos running the rackets get busted, this will not change. Every sep alng the path to license issuancehas someone signing to pass that step. those are part o the record on that driver. Who was supposed to check legal residence? Oh, he passed this guy. and he is illegal? OK. Can HIM. Word will spread, the corruption will end. ,
I’ve got 4,000,000 accident/ticket free miles coast to coast. The driving has definitely gotten worse for all on the road especially after Covid. It seems that broke people and is one reason I hung it up last year. The way people drive now I figured it was only a matter of time before I got in an accident. The bigger problem I see on the roads is cellphones. It’s against federal law for a truck driver to use one while driving which is a good thing and it should be for cars, too. Distracted drivers are everywhere.
Me too
That’s how they smuggle them into the country by truckloads? Truck drivers are illegal aliens themselves and getting paid by human traffickers?
From the wording in the headline, I inferred that it was the state of California running this crackdown. Wouldn’t that have been something — California cracking down on the incompetents that they bent over backward to qualify in the first place.
“Our operation has taken 101 drivers off the streets”
I remember this beloved Christmas story! Will ICE now be making coats from their pelts to give as presents to Gavin and his Democrat legislators? (The tattooed areas are particularly exotic and trendy!)
After that, there will still be ten coats left over.
So… who else has been a GOOD boy or girl this year?